Thusis - A Perfect Day to Test the Wet Gear - Poking Around Europe 5.0

August 31, 2018

Thusis - A Perfect Day to Test the Wet Gear

Chur to Thusis

It was truly a perfect day to test the wet gear. We woke up to rain. Real rain, not a mere sprinkle. Everyone in this part of the world is thrilled. We were told this is the first rainfall of more than an hour in two months. We lingered over breakfast, and lingered longer, thinking it might let up. It really wasn’t noticeably better when we decided to go for it, just a short ride to Thusis. Our hope was to get to Thusis and then ride the Viamala unloaded to see the gorge.

There were two other bikes in the dungeon with ours and this morning, like us, their owners were loading in the front hall of the hotel, avoiding the rain outside. They were a couple from just outside Frankfurt. We forgot to take a picture. We had a great chat about riding in the rain and the merits of trains and the four of us were off, in different directions.

It is pouring out there and the mountains have disappeared. We lingered in the breakfast room and then lingered in the room hoping things would improve.

The staff at the hotel were welcoming and amazing.

As is always the way with such things, it is never really that bad. We have the gear for it and once we were out in the rain we were happy to be riding. We had made a reservation in Thusis which was only 30 km away (there are limits to what even modern wet gear can take) and so we knew we were fine. The CN manoeuvred us out of Chur seamlessly and it was a lovely ride from the start. The surface was paved for the first bit...I am not sure how far because I had my Garmin snugly tucked away. It is supposed to be waterproof but I felt better not using it today. When the surface changed it was still good, hard packed fine gravel. We stopped to watch some golfers who were undeterred by the rain.

Geared up, golf course in the background. I would neither golf nor ride in this weather at home, and you know what? It was fine.

At this point the riding surface became a little more questionable. We came to one of those Swiss bike signs that informed us that we would climb 100 m in 1 km. Most of it was just fine, but at one particularly steep bit the wheels started to slip in the wet gravel, and we both had to walk.

Pictures never show the steepness. It was simply safer to walk as the bikes were slipping. I think it would have been fine with a dry surface.

It was a very pretty ride through the forest. Despite the rain we were really enjoying ourselves. As it was flatter at this point the surface was just fine for riding.

Now when a woman has had multiple cups of coffee in the morning, hoping for the rain to stop, this looks like the perfect spot for a nature break. I was giving Keith the hairy eyeball as he had the camera out and I was a little concerned.

This was so interesting to me. Randomly, in the middle of the forest there were these walls.

And this. I have tried googling it but haven’t been able to find anything definitive.

It was a beautiful ride, despite the rain, which never stopped. It was never a deluge though, just a nice steady rain. We passed through a village with two castles overlooking it, and found a dry bench under a building for our picnic lunch.

Zoomed in. Very brooding looking in this weather

Castle number two, from just past our lunch spot.

Even the cows weren’t keen on the weather.

There was some history in this region...I wish I spoke German because I was doing my best to read this sign. I will be doing some research tonight.

Before we knew it we were in Thusis. It is a tiny place but right on the Viamala. We were hoping to bike up there unloaded after checking in, but we were pretty wet. Instead we explored the town and we may explore the hotel sauna and steam room later. We have made no decisions about tomorrow. The weather forecast is more of the same, so we will see 😀. Keith is talking about a train to Bolzano. That would be a surprise. The original plan was to bike to St. Moritz.

One last screen shot from Keith. The Relive is below.

https://www.relive.cc/view/1809560699

Today's ride: 30 km (19 miles)
Total: 276 km (171 miles)

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Carol DunlopEnjoying your blog very much! You are troopers riding in the rain, but I agree, you wouldn’t set out in it at home, but when touring....the show must go on, and it’s actually not that bad.
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5 years ago

Dave MetcalfeKathleen …… you are looking good in your raingear! It is great to see that you and Keith just get out there and go for it in the rain (very Canadian). Some great photos.

Dave and Lauralea
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5 years ago

Kathleen ClassenTo Carol DunlopThat is such a great way to put it. The show will certainly go on today, but most likely on a train. It is just pouring. The disappointment is the scenery, and we can’t see it. It isn’t forecast to end for over a week, so we might as well move on. We feel so lucky to have had those first few days of perfect weather.
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5 years ago

Kathleen ClassenTo Dave MetcalfeI don’t think even our rain gear will cut it today. Silly weather! Still, we should make it to the train station without being soaked to our underwear hehe. It is only a few hundred meters away.
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5 years ago